Marianna Longa (ITA) and Tobias Angerer (GER) are the winners of the first ever 10 km (ladies) / 15 km (men) mass start race in free technique carried out in Rybinsk, Russia.

Longa finished the race just 0,4 seconds ahead of her teammate Arianna Follis (ITA). The third spot took in a tight sprint German Stefanie Boehler, 1,6 seconds behind the winner. Just edged out of the podium, on fourth place, finished Pirjo Muranen (1,8 seconds behind) and Riitta-Liisa Roponen (1,9 seconds behind).

For Longa, it was her second podium this month and the first ever World Cup victory in her career. Stefanie Boehler finished on the podium for the first time in her long career.

The World Cup leader Aino Kaisa Saarinen, 8th, increased her lead of the overall World Cup ranking to 116 points ahead of Petra Majdic, who finished in 20th place.

In the men's race, Tobias Angerer claimed victory on the 4 x 3,75 km course. He finished in the final sprint just 0,7 seconds ahead of Jean Marc Gaillard (FRA) and 1,0 seconds ahead of Sergei Dolidovich (BLR). The home favorite Alexander Legkov was just edged out of the podium and ranked fourth.

Angerer, the two-time overall World Cup winner from Germany took his 11th victory after being one and a half season without a podium place. Jean Marc Gaillard took his third podium place in his career while 35-year-old Sergei Dolidovich (BLR) took his second ever World Cup podium spot, after winning a World Cup in Kuopio (FIN) in 2001.

The World Cup leader Dario Cologna (SUI) finished 10th and retained his lead with 906 points. The runner up is Petter Northug (NOR, 698 points), who didn't compete in Rybinsk.

The next World Cup races will be Saturday, a free technique sprint at 13.30 local time (11.30h CET) in Rybinsk.

FIS news
30/01/2009